Thomas tickets still on sale

It's not too late for Thomas fans to attend Day Out With Thomas this summer.

Sales are steady, but Tim DeMott, event supervisor, said there are still tickets available for August's event at Midland Railway featuring Thomas the Tank Engine.

"Thomas is going great," DeMott said. "Ticket sales are doing good. The economy as a whole has slowed ticket sales, but they're still selling."

Thomas, the popular children's book and public television show character, -- complete with his trademark smiley face -- will be at Midland for a second year. The full-size, 17-ton, 25-foot-long replica will be in town Aug. 1-3 and 8-10 for the popular children's event, Day Out With Thomas.

The event is geared for children ages 2 to 6 years old. It will feature 25-minute train rides throughout the day with Thomas leading the excursions. There are 12 train rides a day, starting at 9 a.m. and running every 45 minutes.

The Midland depot area and parking lot will also house many other Thomas activities and events, he said, including a moon walk, storytelling, coloring, live music, clowns and temporary tattooing.

Concessions and Thomas merchandise will also be available.

DeMott said several local organizations have volunteered to help Midland with the event.

"Everybody's been really supportive," he said.

Day Out With Thomas is expected to bring thousands of people to Baldwin, but he said traffic problems should not be a concern.

Visitors will park at the Baldwin High School parking lot and ride the shuttle to the depot.

"We're trying to route the shuttle buses so passengers have an opportunity to see downtown," he said.

Day Out With Thomas isn't just for those coming from out of town. DeMott encouraged local residents to take advantage of the event.

Those who didn't get a chance to ride Thomas last year still have an opportunity to get tickets this year, he said.

"There are several runs sold out, but no complete days are sold out yet," he said. "There still should be plenty of tickets available."

Tickets are needed for the train rides only. Other Day Out With Thomas events are open to the public. Tickets are $16 per person, which includes the $2 handling fee. They can be ordered by calling (866) 468-7630 or by going online to www.ticketweb.com.

DeMott encouraged those interested in going to Day Out With Thomas to get tickets early.

"Tickets are hard to get the closer it gets to the event," he said.

He expects a majority of the tickets will sell because of the popularity of Day Out With Thomas.